A New Beginning
by Mothstar
Summary: Into the Wild retold with Pokemon. Rusty has a loving family, but when the forest - and destiny - calls, what will happen to him? A threat looms just overhead...
1. Prologue and Allegiances

_**A New Beginning**_

Into the Wild_ retold with Pokémon. Rusty has a loving family, but when the forest—and destiny—calls, what will happen to him? A threat looms just overhead...  
>Rated T Suspense Firestar<em>

Prologue and Allegiances

The night was illuminated by the half moon floating between the clouds. The river flowed quietly between the shore and the huge boulders called Sunningrocks.

Shapes crouched just inside the bank, nearly invisible in the shadow of the stones. Watchful eyes glinted overhead.

The two groups advanced with painstaking slowness, silently willing the other side to attack.

Neither side knew which struck first, but suddenly the rocks were alive with baying, fighting forms.

At the center of the frenzy a red-and-black bipedal form pinned down a stocky blue shape. The attacker held a silver blade to the other's throat.

"Oakheart!" he snarled. "How dare you trespass on ThunderClan territory!"

"After tonight, Tigerclaw, these rocks will be RiverClan's!" the Poliwrath retorted.

An anxious call came from the riverbank. "More RiverClan warriors coming!"

Tigerclaw, the Bisharp, raised his head as footsteps thudded on the rocks. Oakheart escaped his foe's hold and croaked triumphantly.

Tigerclaw gave Oakheart a dark look. "Sunningrocks belongs to ThunderClan!"

"Are you so sure, Tigerclaw?"

The Bisharp surveyed the battlefield. The RiverClan warriors were driving ThunderClan back toward the trees. Tigerclaw narrowed his eyes. The battle wasn't over until one side stopped fighting.

"Retreat, ThunderClan! Retreat!"

Tigerclaw looked up angrily. An undersized red form was standing on a large rock, his face shadowed eerily by his glowing head-flame.

"Retreat!" the Simisear repeated.

Tigerclaw glared at Redtail. "The battle is not lost!"

Redtail met Tigerclaw's gaze. "See for yourself."

Tigerclaw glanced around.

ThunderClan's warriors were limping back to the forest. Every single one was injured. RiverClan was celebrating its victory, prancing around on the rock.

"Come on, Tigerclaw," the deputy urged. "We're in RiverClan territory."

How could Redtail give up so easily? Tigerclaw gazed back at the rocks, his eyes furious slits, before following Redtail into ThunderClan territory.

|Line break|

A blue Pokémon stood in a moonbeam. Her eyes glinted in a shadow falling over them. A dappled shape floated over to her.

"You are troubled," the floating one murmured.

The Nidoqueen gave a quick nod. "ThunderClan has not been beaten in its own territory since I became leader." She shook her head as if shaking off dark thoughts. "How are the wounded, Spottedleaf?"

The dappled Celebi landed next to her leader. "They will recover."

"That is good to hear. You are a gifted medicine-mon." She heaved a sigh. "Has StarClan told you anything?"

"Not for some moons, Bluestar."

Suddenly a shooting star streaked a path across the sky. Spottedleaf gasped and ascended up. She stared, transfixed, at the sky. Bluestar watched, aware but calm.

Finally Spottedleaf floated back down with a sigh. "It was a sign from StarClan." Her amber eyes were distant. "Fire alone will save our Clan."

Bluestar stared at her medicine-mon. "Fire?" she echoed. "But fire is feared by every Clan! How can it save us?"

"I do not know," Spottedleaf admitted. "But this is what StarClan has told me."

Bluestar straightened. "You have not been wrong before, Spottedleaf. It must be so. Fire will save ThunderClan."

{}

**Allegiances**

ThunderClan:

Leader: Bluestar: female Nidoqueen

Deputy: Redtail: undersized male Simisear

Medicine-mon: Spottedleaf: female Celebi dappled with darker green and brown with amber eyes

Warriors:

Lionheart: male Manetric with a ruff of fur around his neck  
>Apprentice, Graypaw<p>

Tigerclaw: male Bisharp  
>Apprentice, Ravenpaw<p>

Whitestorm: male Girafarig with a white head and neck  
>Apprentice, Sandpaw<p>

Darkstripe: male Mightyena with silver stripes

Longtail: male Furret

Runningwind: male Linoone

Willowpelt: pale female Meganium

Mousefur: small female darker brown Raticate

Apprentice:

Dustpaw: darker-colored male Sandshrew

Graypaw: male Luxio with gray instead of black

Ravenpaw: undersized male black Absol

Sandpaw: sandy-colored female Vulpix

Firepaw: male Growlithe

Queens:

Frostfur: whitish Glaceon

Brindleface: tabby-patterned Cincinno

Goldenflower: Lilligant with a red-gold flower

Speckletail: speckled Delcatty, the oldest nursery queen

Elders:

Halftail: male Watchog with half a tail

Smallear: grayish male Audino with small ears

Patchpelt: small male black-and-white Excavalier

One-eye: female elderly pale gray Espeon, virtually blind and deaf

Dappletail: female dappled Leafeon

ShadowClan:

Leader: Brokenstar: large male Spiritomb

Deputy: Blackfoot: large Umbreon with big paws

Medicine-mon: Runningnose: small male Beartic

Warriors:

Stumpytail: short-tailed brownish male Granbull  
>Apprentice, Brownpaw<p>

Boulder: silvery male Golem  
>Apprentice, Wetpaw<p>

Clawface: battle-scarred male Houndoom  
>Apprentice, Littlepaw<p>

Nightpelt: male jet-black Umbreon

Queens:

Dawncloud: small Chimecho

Brightflower: brightly-colored Grumpig

Elders:

Ashfur: male grayish Torkoal

WindClan:

Leader: Tallstar: male Zebstrika with a long tail

RiverClan:

Leader: Crookedstar: large male Feraligatr with a twisted jaw

Deputy: Oakheart: male Poliwrath

Pokémon outside Clans:

Yellowfang: old female Zoroark

Smudge: plump black-and-white male Bidoof

Barley: male Leafeon

Important information:

Egg groups are null and void, meaning that two completely different Pokémon could have a completely different offspring. In simpler language, Wigglytuff x Vaporeon with a baby Hoppip. That has no significance in this writing! It's just a random pairing. Very random.

Depending on the Pokémon, it is likely that they will end up pregnant instead of nursing Eggs.

As you may have noticed in Spottedleaf's case, genderless Pokémon may have genders.

The color schemes have been altered in some cases.

I am hoping to go through the Warriors books, making a Pokémon version of each, chapter by chapter. I am not taking words directly from it. The occasional phrase, yes ("Not for some moons, Bluestar"), but I am not trying to plagiarize (take another author's work and call it your own).

I hope you liked it!

—Mothstar


	2. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

It was dark. Rusty knew a mouse was nearby. It was so close he could almost taste it. Almost. He imagined it would taste musky and meaty and warm, hinting of the trees and grass...

A scrabbling of paws on leaves sharpened his senses. The mouse knew he was here. A growl rumbled deep in his throat. That mouse wouldn't get away! It would be in his belly instead of some—

A shrill call made him jump.

"_Rusty! Who's a sleepy little Growlithe? Huh? Who's sleeping away his dinnertime?"_

Groggily Rusty opened his eyes. The older female person had a bag of food and his bowl. Rusty rolled on his back and licked his lips. The food smelled good, but the mouse had smelled even better.

"_You want your dinner, Rusty?"_

Rusty blinked and crawled out of bed. The person set his bowl on the floor. It was full of food. He couldn't smell the mouse anymore, but he was still hungry. He plunged his nose into the bowl.

The person set down a bowl of water while he was eating. It sloshed out and splashed Rusty. He choked on a piece of food and spat it out, pawing at his wet side indignantly. _Hey!_

"_You don't like water, eh, Rusty?"_

Rusty shook himself and drank a bit from the bowl. He knew what his person would do next. She'd open the door and let him out while the people ate their "dinner." Smudge often came out at the same time. The Growlithe hurried to the door, almost tripping his person.

"_I know, I know." _The person chattered as she opened the door. _"Have fun!"_

Rusty was already outside. He heard the door close, and he went off. He made his dirt in his usual place beneath a large bush. Then he tasted the air carefully. There weren't any mice nearby, but Smudge had just come out.

Rusty leapt onto the wide platform on the fence. His people had made that just for him to sit on. Smudge had already clambered onto his.

"Good evening, Rusty!" the black-and-white Bidoof grunted, hauling his body up. "Nice weather out!"

Rusty nodded, sniffing the air. It had rained last night, and the air smelled fresh.

"What's up?" Smudge asked.

Rusty licked his lips. "I want to catch a mouse."

Smudge's eyes widened. "You're not thinking of going out in the forest, are you?"

Rusty's tail twitched. "Where else can you find mice?"

Smudge shook his head. "Don't go there! I heard that there are wild Pokémon out there that eat live rabbits for breakfast every day! They catch their own food every day and claw your ears if you trespass!" The Bidoof shuddered.

Rusty gave his friend's ear an affectionate lick. "I'll be careful." He leapt off of the platform and into the forest.

Almost immediately he heard a scuttle of tiny paws. A small brown form was sitting under a bush, nibbling busily at a nut.

_A mouse!_ Rusty dropped into a crouch. He set his paws carefully. He was painfully aware of the collar around his neck. It had a bell on it that jingled if he moved too quickly. Slowly, slowly, he made his way closer to the mouse.

Suddenly a noise made him jump. His bell rang, and the mouse darted away into its hole.

Rusty scraped his claws on the ground and wrinkled his nose. _Aw, really?_

He tasted the air again. There weren't any other mouse scents, but there was something...

Suddenly a tremendous weight catapulted into his side. He barked as claws and fangs spiked him. Thick gray fur filled his nose and mouth as he was thrown onto his back. Teeth met his belly with fierce electricity. Rusty howled as he felt blood well up.

The attacker growled triumphantly at his pain. Rusty kicked out fiercely with his back legs. The attacker was too heavy for him to move far, but his feet found their target.

Rusty sprang back to his paws and could finally see who had attacked him. It was a Luxio, well muscled with thick gray, blue, and yellow fur. It was a male, Rusty smelled, and it was the same age as him—young. Rusty growled threateningly at him, claws out, ready to let loose with an Ember. But the Luxio simply sat back and lapped at a scratch on his flank.

"Hi, housepet!" he meowed cheerfully. "You fight better than I expected! I haven't met a housepet who fights so well, but then again, I haven't met any other housepets besides you!"

Rusty cocked his head, confused. He was still ready if the Luxio would spring at him again, but his sudden chattering seemed to show that he was friendly. Still...

"I'll keep on fighting if I have to," he growled, breathing out a few sparks.

"I'm Graypaw," the Luxio continued. "I'm training to be a ThunderClan warrior."

Rusty sat back carefully. He left his claws out. He didn't know what to say about this nonsensical talk, but the Luxio was clearly unthreatening. "I'm Rusty."

"What are you doing out here, anyway?" Graypaw asked.

"Uh...hunting, I think," Rusty replied.

Graypaw looked up suddenly, his eyes wide and scared. "Hunting? In ThunderClan territory? You're an intruder, then! You were an intruder to begin with, but you're definitely an intruder now. I wonder if Lionheart is close by. I don't know what to do about an intruder quite yet! Oh no!"

Rusty looked at him. What was he meowing about? That electric cat was a little crazy.

"ShadowClan likes to steal prey," Graypaw continued fearfully, "but they're all the way across the forest, thank StarClan. They could come through Fourtrees, but I don't—oh, they would! Those fox-hearts!"

Graypaw spat at something that only he knew of. Rusty rolled his eyes. This cat Pokémon was odd. What did he say he was? A warrior? Were all warriors this...spastic?

Suddenly Graypaw froze. "Pokémon from my Clan are coming! Quick, run!"

Rusty looked around wildly. _Where—?_

Suddenly two Pokémon came into the small clearing. One was a Nidoqueen, the other a magnificent Manetric. The male Electric-type had a ruff of fur around his neck. The Nidoqueen held herself high.

"Lionheart! Bluestar!" The Luxio cowered beneath their gazes, crouching low. Rusty imitated him. He didn't know who they were, but their eyes looked stern. And he didn't like the way the Nidoqueen looked at him.

"Did you find this housepet, Graypaw?" the Manetric asked.

Graypaw nodded fearfully. "His name's Rusty, Lionheart."

The Nidoqueen turned her ice blue gaze on him. "You are Rusty."

Rusty nodded.

"Get up, you two!" the Manetric named Lionheart instructed. Graypaw almost fell over again as he leapt to his paws. Rusty rose up as well.

"What was a housepet like you doing out in the forest?" the Nidoqueen, Bluestar, asked. Her tone was not harsh, only questioning.

"I wanted to hunt," he replied.

Graypaw gasped. The two older Clan Pokémon's eyes were suddenly hard. _Did I offend them?_

"Surely there are enough mice to go around," he offered lamely.

That seemed to aggravate them even more. Electricity cracked around Lionheart, and Bluestar's thick tail was thrashing.

"We have no mice to spare," the Nidoqueen said quietly, her tail flicking. "Nor rabbits, nor squirrels, nor birds. We need every scrap of prey the forest has."

Rusty's eyes widened. _Every scrap?_ "Is your Clan big?" he asked nervously.

"We have many Pokémon," Lionheart told him. He seemed guarded. "Life is hard in the forest, but it is how we live."

"We are watched by our warrior ancestors," Bluestar added. "We have a code of conduct that every Clan cat must follow."

Graypaw nodded. "The warrior code. Every Pokémon has to—" Lionheart gave him a look, and the young Luxio's mouth snapped shut.

Rusty tilted his head. Why were these Pokémon being so defensive? _Maybe they think I'll invade._

"What is life like in a Clan?" Rusty asked.

"Perhaps you would like to join and see," Bluestar told him.

"B-but he can't!" Graypaw burst out. "He's a housepet! He doesn't have warrior blood!"

"Warrior blood." Bluestar's eyes clouded. "Too much of that has been spilled lately." Her eyes cleared. "We have fewer apprentices than we would usually have. ThunderClan needs all the Pokémon it can get. You are a skilled hunter. If you had had some experience and hadn't had the bell you would have caught the mouse."

"R-really?" Rusty gasped.

Lionheart released a controlled spark. "Understand that you cannot make this decision lightly," he warned. "You cannot have a paw in each world. You are either warrior or housepet."

"C-can I get back to you on that?" Rusty yipped. His paws were tingling in excitement. His vivid mouse-chasing dreams would become reality.

Bluestar nodded.

"Thank you!"

**There you have it. I liked spastic Graypaw very much. Please review!**

**~Mothstar**


End file.
